Night without Borders

Chapter 442 As if seeing a god
The single word "斩" (cut) was like a thunderclap, shattering the night fog.

Beside Qin Ming, five-colored sword energy surged up, dazzling and unpredictable, seemingly containing rivers, wastelands, and seas of fire, carrying a sense of vastness.

Cui Chonghe had already retreated in advance, constantly changing his position, like a ghost appearing and disappearing in a foggy sea, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, suddenly appearing and disappearing in an instant.

His hair stood on end, the chilling sword energy blending with the night mist, omnipresent, even sending a cold sensation across his eyes and brows.

His sideburns and sword-like eyebrows were slightly damaged, with dozens or even hundreds of hairs detached from his body. His brow looked as if a celestial sword was pressing against it, causing a faint pain.

His three fundamental principles are very profound, but their integration and resonance in the third realm seem somewhat forced. Now that they are fully erupting, he is feeling uncomfortable both mentally and physically.

Below the dueling platform, Cui Chongxiao's eyes were deep as he said, "Something's not right. Chonghe's immortal light was prematurely torn apart by the sword demon, and the connection between the three great scriptures is flawed, failing to reach the realm of perfect harmony!"

Three kinds of immortal runes intertwined on Cui Chonghe's body, showing a tendency to merge and become one. Unfortunately, a five-colored sword aura tore through the immortal light and forcefully slashed in.

Even though he dodged in advance, moving like a faint phantom through the night sky, he was still injured by the dazzling five-colored divine light.

Before Cui Chonghe, the One Yuan Dao Lamp bloomed with nine colors, its rich Daoist aura burning like fire, blocking the deadly sword aura.

However, at the crucial moment, it deviated. The five-colored sword aura, carrying a "domain," seemed to distort space, causing the Dao lamp to slide to the side.

"Hmm." Cui Chong was startled. The chilling sword light pierced straight into his body, making him feel as if his heart was about to be pierced through, and his bones were surrounded by wisps of sword intent.

In an instant, his entire body turned golden, and four faces and eight arms appeared simultaneously, with his "Undying Immortal Scripture" and some kind of golden body technique protecting him at the same time.

However, the sword still pierced through, cutting through his golden body.

With a soft splatter, crimson blood splattered, and he was almost cut in two.

His body, crafted from rare and precious materials, possessed life and spirit, as well as real blood, allowing him to truly experience excruciating pain.

The five-colored sword pierced his heart and tangled around his jade bones, clanging loudly as it began to carve away at his bones.

"Disperse." His mental field roared, as if he were holding the mandate of heaven in his mouth, urging the "Golden Palace Jade Chapter." As soon as the true words were uttered, the pure Yang power boiled.

His most valued fundamental technique was indeed extraordinary, dispelling the sword aura and resisting the sword domain.

Otherwise, once the Five-Colored Sword Fiend enters the body, there is simply no way to deal with it. He will be cut into pieces, and both his bones and his mental consciousness will be severed.

Even so, Cui Chonghe's body was cracked open, crisscrossing and splintering, with sword light emanating from him from head to toe, as if he had been torn apart by five horses.

“Chonghe has been beheaded…” Cui Qi’s expression changed drastically. He regretted letting his second son take the stage, as this opponent was clearly an old monster.

He even seriously suspected that the stone man might be an earth immortal, otherwise why would he dare to name himself: "One Sword Slash Through Thirty-Six Heavens"?

"Chonghe still has one more chance." Cui Chongxiao gazed at the battlefield.

On the dueling arena, Cui Chong and his torn body vanished suddenly amidst a cloud of blood mist, as if a hurricane had swept through, with Dao patterns intertwining and the night mist exploding.

"I never imagined that the perfect harmony of the three classics would require me to offer my true blood as a sacrifice." Cui Chonghe reappeared, sighing softly.

Besides Cui Qi and Cui Chongxiao, there was another person who was extremely concerned about this battle, namely Cao Tian, ​​who was by Li Qingxu's side.

He said, "Those three immortal scriptures should have resonated in the fourth realm, but he was able to display them ahead of time, which shows that his talent is truly extraordinary."

Li Qingxu hadn't expected that even the unruly Cao Tian would treat the injured Cui Chonghe with such special regard and give him such high praise.

They came from a pure land beyond the secular world, and naturally they already knew Cui Chonghe's identity through their cultivation techniques.

At this moment, three kinds of immortal light merged around Cui Chonghe's body, perfectly harmonious. The three halos became ethereal, gradually transforming into auspicious clouds, with densely packed characters and symbols flowing around them.

He became quite mysterious and powerful. At this moment, he seemed to be in perfect harmony with the world. Every move he made was simple and natural, giving him a sense of unity with nature.

Cui Chonghe was in a special state. He appeared serene and otherworldly, but his inner fighting spirit was high. His eyes were fixed on his opponent, as if he wanted to see through him completely.

However, to his slight disappointment, the Stone Man remained calm and unperturbed, seemingly unconcerned about whether he had become more dangerous.

Faced with his change, Qin Ming only said six words: "Very well, let's test the edge of my sword."

Zheng!
The not-so-loud sword cry resounded throughout the heavens and earth. Five-colored sword energy surged up, carrying a sword domain containing mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, and slashed out once more.

Cui Chonghe rarely makes a move in public. Having just suffered a heavy loss, he is naturally holding back his anger. Seeing this, his fighting spirit is high, and his eyes shoot out beams of light like lightning.

He vanished from his spot and charged at his opponent.

The five-colored sword aura struck the immortal light outside his body, where it seemed as if countless stars lit up. Cui Chonghe's body emitted a Daoist sound, and three immortal rings transformed into three auspicious clouds, blocking the pure Yang sword aura.

“One person, three scriptures, ten thousand talismans… that’s the path he’s taking,” an old monster murmured.

At Cui Chonghe's location, three auspicious clouds resonated, and dense runes blocked the five-colored sword aura.

"As a Dao body, containing the Three Scriptures, capable of evolving all things... Sun Taichu's disciple has quite the ambition." Cao Tian murmured.

Anyone could see that Cui Chong was much stronger than before. Some people speculated that he might be able to break into the top 50. However, even in this state, he couldn't suppress the stone man.

Qin Ming's five-colored sword aura, reflecting the magnificent scenery of mountains and rivers, may once again pierce through that celestial light and auspicious clouds.

After blocking the sword aura, Cui Chonghe took the initiative to attack, carrying the One Yuan Dao Lamp, which emitted hundreds of dazzling beams of light.

He walks through the void like a god or demon. The so-called "The Beginning of the One" scripture speaks of the initial form of the Tao. Its intent is too lofty, and he certainly cannot manifest it now. What he can do now is "removing the old and establishing the new," using a single lamp to illuminate all things and reshape the surrounding environment.

Now that he has integrated the three scriptures, the Taoist lamp he carries is incredibly powerful.

"Domain suppression, killing enemies at will." An older generation member showed surprise.

However, the dense sword energy formed a five-colored light curtain, blocking the killing light emanating from the lamp.

Cui Chonghe's momentum was still rising, and the immortal Daoist charm was merging with his body. In addition, the "Golden Palace Jade Chapter" that he valued most was also beginning to exert its power.

Amidst the Daoist chant, his aura changed. Suddenly, he donned an imperial robe and wore a crown, with hazy sun and moon illuminating his sides, making him appear as if he were suspended high in the nine heavens.

"He actually comprehended the deepest meaning of one of the three most difficult scriptures to master on the path to immortality, the Golden Palace Jade Chapter." Li Qingxu's expression changed drastically.

Boom!

A sword of evil descended from the sky, accompanied by deafening thunder.

Qin Ming activated the sixth sword aura, which was the sword-binding technique he obtained from the Jade Emperor, and its source was the legendary Beast Sword Immortal.

He did not use the strange metal sword, but activated the holy aura of lightning.

With a soft thud, a sword light fell, nearly beheading Cui Chonghe. The crown on his head burst forth with dazzling light, then shattered into pieces, the beads scattered all over the ground.

This sixth sword strike nearly sent Cui Chonghe to reincarnation.

However, he reacted quickly, raising the One Yuan Dao Lamp to stop the damage and block the subsequent attacks.

The stone man actually forged a sixth sword aura, which stunned many people.

“Not only that, he may also have a seventh sword aura, which is related to the wind attribute,” an old monster said.

Earlier, Qin Ming had secretly used this technique, which was noticed by a few people.

Cao Tian tilted his head and looked at the dueling platform, saying, "Cui Chonghe, who can defeat his master Sun Taichu at the same level, is a fledgling dragon who should be shining brightly, but today he may suffer a big setback."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingxu looked incredulous. Who was Sun Taichu? He was a powerful figure among the patriarchs. Yet, when he retraced his steps, he was no match for his closed-door disciple.
He exclaimed, "Impossible!"

Cao Tian glanced at him and said, "Don't let your emotions get the better of you. Otherwise, if you dislike someone and wish you could drag them down to the dust, it's unfair. The facts are there: he entered the Dao at the age of three or four, and for more than ten years, he has been ahead of his peers and has never been defeated. Of course, this is also related to his forbearance; he rarely makes a move. Although he is not as good as Jiang Ran and cannot stand out on the path of immortality, he is still far beyond many people's imagination. What do you think of someone who has cultivated a Dao body?"

"He really cultivated it into... a Dao body?" Li Qingxu was shocked. He disliked Cui Chonghe because when he was young and naive, he liked Wang Caiwei, but she became Cui Chonghe's fiancée.

Cao Tian said, "You've already witnessed the Pure Yang Body. Do you think the Dao Body is that bad? Right now, he's able to fight an old monster to this extent. Although he lost, he's still honorable and has something to be proud of."

Li Qingxu asked, "Could that stone man also be a young man?"

"Impossible!" Cao Tian shook his head, because many patriarchs had used the "Scripture of Longevity" to prolong their lives, but no one had ever cultivated that sword intent of immortality in thousands of years. Cao Tian guessed that the stone man was probably an old monster at the level of an Earth Immortal.

On the battlefield, Cui Chonghe underwent even greater changes. The imperial crown reappeared, and he was draped in imperial robes, with the sun and moon shining upon him.

Furthermore, a blurry dragon chariot appeared before him, as if it were about to emerge from nothingness to guide him onto the chariot to fight.

In a flash, a dragon's roar echoed through the night sky as it appeared. Cui Chong and his lantern stepped onto the dragon chariot, beginning their formal counterattack, aiming to steer the chariot to tear through the sword-wielding light barrier.

"It's time to end this!" Cui Chonghe's conviction was strong, and he felt that he was standing at the strongest level he could currently reach.

Qin Ming looked at him and said, "Confident again? So what? I'll cut you down with one sword!"

In an instant, the Thunderous Fiend merged into the Five Elements Sword Fiend, and six-colored divine light soared into the sky.

Many young sword cultivators trembled upon witnessing this scene, and then were extremely excited. What incredible talent! To be able to fuse six kinds of sacred evil into the sword light was truly terrifying!

Undeterred, Cui Chong rode his dragon chariot, rumbling across the night sky. His entire body glowed, and he exerted all his strength, as if arriving with the might of heaven, unleashing his strongest attack!
In an instant, Qin Ming incorporated wind-attribute sword energy into the six-colored sword light. Since the opponent had mastered the "Avoiding Calamity Immortal Scripture" and the "Undying Immortal Scripture," he feared that killing him would only result in his reappearance, so he decided to go all the way in one go.

"Hmm?" Cui Chonghe's pupils contracted, sensing something was wrong.

In an instant, the seven-colored sword aura tore through the night sky and stood side by side, like the peacock king spreading its tail feathers, illuminating the heavens and the earth.

Sword energy was everywhere, pouring out in all directions. The seven-colored sword energy mercilessly cut through the dragon chariot that Cui Chong was riding, and the crown on his head was shattered into pieces.

In an instant, Cui Chonghe's blood also splattered in the night sky.

During this time, he reconstructed his body several times, but each time it was torn apart by the sword's power.

Below the dueling platform, everyone was utterly shocked.

The young sword cultivators, in particular, were petrified, their eyes filled with fervor, as if they were seeing a god!
No one knew better than them how difficult it was for someone on the path of sword immortality to refine so many top-tier sword essences; they were well aware of what that meant.

Cui Chonghe was beheaded and suffered a crushing defeat. Although he recovered from the Daoist aura emanating from the new list hanging in the night, his face was still deathly pale when he stood off the stage.

"I've lost so badly!" he sighed.

Cui Qi appeared and transmitted his voice, saying, "Your master said that you lack experience, so it's good to lose a few times."

He felt sorry for his second son. Chonghe had just shown his talent and strength, but he encountered such a monstrous old monster. Who could stop him?

Cui Chongxiao also secretly transmitted his voice: "Your Dao body is not yet mature enough, otherwise even if you lost to the old monster, you wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

Ultimately, Cui Chongxiao did not go on stage to challenge the stone man.

He wanted to see just how high this person's ranking would eventually reach.

Qin Ming stood on the dueling platform for a long time, but no one else came up, though he did attract a lot of attention.

"Only a madman would challenge him from the 80th ranked platform. I think this guy has a chance to break into the top 10 or 20!"

Little Buddha looked solemn and said, "Sword cultivators are also body refiners, are they really that terrifying?"

He felt that if he came to power, he would also be defeated.

In particular, the Pure Yang Sword's cultivation of evil energy overlapped with his own domain, leaving him with extremely complex feelings.

He muttered to himself, "I wonder if Qin Ming from the collateral branch has arrived yet? However, he has only reached the sixth or seventh level of the third realm and is far from perfect. He would be powerless to compete here."

Little Tathagata is indeed very powerful, fighting his way through the levels with sheer strength, and his ranking in the third realm has now risen to seventy-third.

Qin Ming embarked on his challenge journey at a leisurely pace, improving by ten or twenty places each time. His main purpose was to reassess certain old acquaintances and prepare for potential conflicts in the future.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find out who Cui Chongxiao was, nor did he know whether the real person behind Xin Yuan was present.

He noticed Xiao Rulai's ranking, hesitated slightly, and did not stop to challenge him, because they both practiced Hunyuan Jin, a skill he was extremely familiar with.

Soon after, Qin Ming discovered a black dragon with a woman wrapped in a black cloak, and eventually confirmed that they were Master Wu and Tang Jin.

"The Tang Dynasty is ranked so high?" He was somewhat surprised.

Tang Jin has already reached the fifty-seventh position and hasn't stopped yet.

Qin Ming quickly understood; this was the fierce woman who dared to chase after Jiang Ran and seize the Black and White Mountain's fortune back then.

Subsequently, Qin Ming discovered that Feng Zhige, a young expert from Sky City, had also arrived in the fifties.

These two are still working hard, hoping to continue climbing the ranks.

Qin Ming muttered to himself, "Sky City, the younger generation is really going all out."

As for Yan Zhuohua and Zhou Tiandao, he didn't find them and didn't know if they had come here. He figured their rankings wouldn't be worse than Feng Zhige's.

Qin Ming climbed steadily upwards and eventually broke into the top ten.

For him, this was the last level he could participate in, so he challenged many people in the process, learned the ingenious methods of various systems, and increased his practical experience with top masters.

"Top ten!" Upon seeing this scene, the Cui father and son both gasped in shock. Despite being mentally prepared, they were still deeply shaken.

Cui Qi comforted his second son, saying, "Chonghe, don't be discouraged. Do you see? He's an absolute monster! The fact that you were able to fight him to that extent already puts you in a league of your own on the leaderboard."

Cui Chonghe nodded and said, "Yes, I know. No one is invincible. Looking at the new rankings, the number one in each realm is different. Give me time, and I will gradually catch up with those older generation figures!"

Qin Ming selectively made moves among the top ten while also watching others fight.

"She was Guanghan, now renamed Changxi." Qin Ming was surprised to discover the woman who ranked extremely high in the first two realms.

Of course, he learned this from others; she had different identities at different levels.

This was the first time he had ever closely watched Guanghan, also known as Changxi, fight with someone.

"Huh, this is a technique from the 'Intercepting Heaven Strategy' of Xinsheng Road!"

"How strange, the next thing is actually Xiao Wu's Rainbow Transformation Sutra?"

Qin Ming was surprised. Chang Xi's methods were too unconventional. She knew many different techniques, and her main practice should be the scriptures of ancient immortal temples.

He suddenly realized, "Could she be... the woman from the temple?"

Long ago, in Xiao Wu's hometown, in that temple, a mysterious woman in white once sparred with him using the Heaven-Slaying Blade Intent. She was not from the New Life Path, yet she was proficient in various techniques within that field.

"It probably really is her; we have similar temperaments!"

Once a suspicion arises in one's mind, by comparing it to the descriptions, verifying the facts, and making connections, it becomes easy to discover the problem and the truth. Qin Ming felt that it was indeed possible that he had encountered an old friend.

"Xiao Wu and she were both in that desolate place, one living behind the strange town and the other in front of it, which was really strange."

Qin Ming once suspected that the woman in the temple might be Xiao Wu's elder, perhaps his aunt, mother, grandmother, or ancestor? He had wild thoughts about it.

He decided that he must ask Xiao Wu for details next time.

Soon after, to everyone's astonishment, Qin Ming ascended the highest sword-fighting platform to challenge the number one ranked mysterious expert: Kushu Youfengchun.

Just then, a commotion arose in the distance, and a large red dragon appeared. Little Buddha was stunned and then quickly ran over.

"Senior, you have arrived. Where are the sages?"

"I thought he was too slow, so I came over first!" the big red dragon said, his voice booming like thunder.

Just then, the new list suddenly shone brightly, revealing dense text that startled everyone, causing them to look up in surprise.

(End of this chapter)